Welcome to (COM408) Media, Art, and Social Activism at AUR

We are a 400 level course in the Department of Communication and English at The American University of Rome in Rome, Italy. Bloggers are Professor Kristen Palana and the students. Stay tuned for more and watch this space.

Week 13: Games/Interactive Media and Protest Art

Important Dates:
Monday, May 6: Term papers Due at start of class.
Wednesday, May 8: Volunteer Journals Due.
Wednesday May 15: Final Projects Due. Oral Presentations (on Final Project) Due.

Reread rubrics to make sure you have covered all your bases!

Games and Interactive Media:
Free Rice
Earth Girl

Article: If You Love it, Change It- Social Activism in Gaming.

Protest Art:
33 Revolutions per Minute. A History of Protest Songs
James Brown: Say It Loud. I’m Black and I’m Proud
Public Enemy: Fight the Power

100 Best protest Signs from Rally to Restore Sanity

Video: Art With a Message

Week 12 Homework

Please take the handout or refer to pp 148-149 in your book and compare the documentary feature, Born Into Brothels (2004) with the five territories of the community-based arts process. Jot down your answers in your notebook and bring to the next class.

Week 11 (and Homework): Web Talks, Do-Gooder Groups, and a Feature Documentary

Examples of People Donating Skills for Free:
Donorschoose.org
Teach for America
Download to Donate
Doctors Without Borders
Angles With Fur Japan

Documentary Feature
Born Into Brothels (2004)
Link: Kids With Cameras

The Climate Change Denial Machine

  “The Koch Brothers & Their Amazing Climate Change Denial Machine” is short, three-and-a-half minute-long film made by the Australian filmmaker Taki Oldham. The footage used is part of his longer, 55 minute long documentary “The Billionaires’ Tea Party” (2011).
A good example of visually effective use of animation techniques, this short film details the effort of Charles and David Koch, oil barons that spent millions to influence American public opinion, undermining the belief in global warming and trying to prevent any legislation targeting climate change that could result in a threat to their profits.
By financing bogus scientific studies and funding complacent Think Tanks and Front Groups (including but not limited to Women groups and Senior Groups), the public is lead to believe that global warming and the threats it entails are only a theory and not a fact. The truth is that those that argue against climate change are a small minority, but their coordination and funding are such that they have been able to influence opinion and legislation, thus safeguarding the interests of influential but largely anonymous energy oligarchs.
Produced by Larrikin films, the director’s own Production Company, whose name refers to irreverence toward authority and disregard for the norms of propriety”, the film was mainly distributed through the web.
In my opinion, this documentary does a very effective job of portraying the dangerous sides of corporate takeover of democracy, as well as warning the public against the content of mainstream, often interest-group-funded, media.
Some useful links to watch the film and learn more:

• http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/the_koch_brothers_and_their_amazing_climate_change_denial_machine/

• http://www.larrikinfilms.com/about1/

• http://www.billionairesteaparty.com/TBTP-storage/The_Billionaires_Tea_Party_Media_Kit.pdf

Guest Speaker: Justin P. Moore -April 11, 2013.

The Kickstarter Economy: How to Use the Power of Crowdfunding and Social Media to Turn Your Creative Project Ideas Into a Reality
Speaker: Justin P. Moore
Thursday April 11, 2013 at 6:45 PM
AUR’s Arianna Auditorium

Based in Berlin since 2001, American artist, designer, world traveler, and food-lover Justin P. Moore will share his secrets of crowd-funding success via Kickstarter with the AUR community. In 2013 he successfully funded, published, and produced his highly-acclaimed vegan cookbook, “The Lotus and the Artichoke -Vegan Recipes from World Adventures.” His successful online campaign reached 220% of its initial fundraising goal, was a featured project on Kickstarter’s home page, and was represented in Time Magazine’s recent October 2012 article, “The Kickstarter Economy.” Visit his project page here.

Justin’s creation, “The Lotus and the Artichoke” features over 100 vegan recipes inspired by his travels and culinary adventures around the world. The cookbook focuses on the fusion of culinary styles from East and West and celebrates global traditions as well as new kitchen creativity beyond all borders. The lecture will delve into the topics of crowd-funding basics, which projects are good candidates for crowd-funding, how to create a successful campaign, using social media, finding a target audience, expectations and obligations, and more. Rumor also has it that vegan treats will be available for the audience to sample afterwards.

Week 10 (and Homework): Film, Radio, and Podcasts

Film Short
I Want to Be a Pilot (2006)
Artist’s Statement

Radio and Podcasts
A conservative list of America’s Top 25 Radio Hosts

This American Life
The Moth
CitizenReporter

More
Watch this

Homework:
1. Read all Week 10 handouts and Week 10 links. (for Quiz-let Monday, April 15…)
2. Due Thursday April 11 at 6:45 at Kickstarter Event or in my mailbox: Final Project Proposals
3. Start doing research for term paper and final project. Watch “More” link and bring to the next class an example (web address/etc) of highly skilled people donating their time and talents for free.

Fast Food Baby (Noemi Miyahara)

                Junk food addiction is increasing at an alarming rate with the youth and has reared a new generation of fast food babies. Fast Food Baby is an hour long BBC documentary first aired in the UK in 2011.  This BBC documentary follows three British families with children that have a fast food addiction. The addicts are two 19-month old babies and a 3 year old toddler, whose families are desperately seeking help to stop their baby’s unhealthy habits. These families meet with child-feeding experts, dieticians, doctors, and dentists to learn of the side effects of fast-food and how to overcome their eating habits. In addition parents attend classes on how to cook and deal with their children’s refusal in eating healthy.

The documentary was directed and produced by Vicki Cooper and broadcasted by BBC. BBC is a public service broadcaster and is funded by an annual television license fee that charges British households receiving live TV broadcasts. Though the budget of the documentary is unclear, the film was supported by their broadcaster, BBC. The film was aired on TV and can also be watched on YouTube.

The documentary, Fast Food Babies, addresses a growing problem that is often ignored by the public. About one in five babies in the United Kingdom are overweight, FFB brings awareness along with a solution to this problem. The film shows that with the help of professionals, families can overcome their obstacles and live a healthier lifestyle.

For further information or a preview of the film can be viewed on their website: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00h0kxv

Week 9 (Homework)

1. Final Term Paper Proposal

Please choose a topic for a 5-6 page term paper due Monday, May 6, 2013.

Term paper proposals are due Monday, April 8, 2013. For the proposal, please submit the title of your topic, along with a paragraph or two summarizing your proposed topic.

Final Paper: Case Study & Aesthetic Critique/Content Analysis Research Paper

-Select a socially-responsible media work (to be approved by me).
-Write a case study based on research regarding the financing and distribution of the work.
-Write an aesthetic critique and content analysis of the work.

(See handout and rubric that was given in class for more details…)

Guest Speaker: Christine Pawlata -Journalist, Documentarian (April 3, 2013)

Christine Pawlata is an Austrian freelance journalist and documentary filmmaker. Based in Rome, she works mainly for Dutch media as well for the American press agency The Associated Press. She is currently working on a series of short documentaries about Roma camps in Italy for Amnesty International.

 

The High Price of Materialism ( Veronica Crociani )

The High Price of Materialism is a short five minute stop-motion animation film that highlights the social disadvantages of a modern materialistic world. In this short animation, psychologist Tim Kasser talks about how American culture of cusumerism, (and this can appeal to many cultures living in a developed country), weakens the social well being of an individual.  The animation argues both the pros and the cons of living in a materialistic society.